Friday, May 25, 2012

If you've ever been to the Seattle Japanese Gardens, you may have seen the lovely tea house. I've been to the Seattle Japanese Gardens once, in 2010 on the same day as Aki Matsuri. The garden is beautiful, and the giant koi fish are amazing. There just happened to be a private memorial tea ceremony at the tea house in the gardens, however we could watch from fence. The seat of honor was taken by a framed picture of a man. It was touching to see, but I have to admit that I know nothing about tea ceremony.

Recently, the Seattle Japanese Garden's Community Blog shared an interview Naomi Takemura, the chief administrator of Chado Urasenke Tankokai Seattle Association, one of the two chado schools that do tea ceremony at the garden.

You can read the interview with Naomi Takemura on the SJG's Community Blog. Tea ceremony is a fascinating part of Japanese culture. As I mentioned before, I personally don't know anything about tea ceremony, but I do find it appealing. Not just because of the association with kimono, but also because of its calming, meditative nature. Sometimes in the midst of an especially stressful day, I find myself wanting to disconnect and reflect in a serene environment.

Tea ceremony demonstrations are often presented at the many Japanese Culture events around Seattle, however it is different from experiencing tea ceremony in the Japanese gardens. If you would like to experience tea ceremony at the Seattle Japanese Gardens, I have listed the demonstration dates below. If you would like to see about getting a group together with the Seattle/Tacoma Kimono Club, let us know, either by commenting on this blog or on our Facebook group.

These are 40 minute presentations in the Shoseian tea house, seated on tatami mats. Wearing kimono is not required, but they ask that you do not wear jeans, rings, fragrances, and you must wear socks. Reservations are required. Please call 206-684-4725 for reservations, or contact the kimono club either on this blog post or on Facebook if you would like to try and set up a club meet-up. The presentation dates link to the Kimono Club's Facebook event pages.

Chado Demonstrations, by Urasenke Foundation Seattle
These demonstrations require no reservation, and is viewed from the patio at no charge. You can purchase a $5 ticket at the garden's gate if you would like to taste a bowl of tea and sweets. There is a limit of 20 tickets per demonstration.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Welcome to the Seattle/Tacoma Kimono Club! This is an informal club for anyone with an interest in kimono. We hope to schedule many events and meet-ups in which to go out and enjoy wearing kimono together.

You may visit or join our Facebook group here:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/387475031304956/

Rules and notes:

I don't have many rules, really, except - Please be respectful. People come from various backgrounds, and have different kimono styles, preferences, and kitsuke skill levels.

Please no spam, trolling, insults, or lying.

Age - No age limit, just please make sure you have your parent's permission, and bring your parents with you if the event requires parental supervision.

Cosplay - Cosplay is certainly welcome here! I feel that anime and cosplay are an important aspect of drawing interest to the world of kimono and wafuku, and attributes to growing interest in kimono. My only request regarding cosplay is please dress for the occasion! If we are planning a meet-up at, say, a koto recital or fancy garden party, it may not be the best venue to wear a Rurouni Kenshin cosplay. Sakura-con, Cherry Blossom Festival, Aki Matsuri, and other culture festivals are great events if you prefer to wear wafuku-related cosplay!

*Wearing kimono to an event or meet-up is NOT required! Just suggested, and really fun! ^.^
If you attend a club event or meet-up and do not wish to have your picture taken or published on the club's blog or Facebook page, please let the administrator (Amanda) know.

If you do not know how to wear kimono, or would like to learn or practice, or if you do not own any kimono yet and are looking for where to buy - please ask. I would like the Seattle/Tacoma Kimono Club to be a local resource anyone who would like to learn or improve their kimono dressing skills. If the club administrator or any of the other club members are willing and available, we can certainly try and answer any questions or try to set up a kimono dressing practice session. Just keep in mind that we wear kimono as a hobby and are NOT professional kimono dressing instructors.

Contribution - If you have a personal blog or other website and would like them added to the links list, let me know! Also, feel free to suggest any events, meet-ups, or anything else you'd like! Feel free to tell others about the kimono club. Let me know if you would like any business cards or promotional material.